Interdisciplinary Studies of the Bering Glacier

Bering Glacier is the largest surging glacier in the world, having surged at least six times in the last 150 years. With the glacier advancing and retreating as much as 10 km over a surge cycle, it is one of the most physically and biologically dynamic places on Earth. This monograph presents the results of a comprehensive and diverse series of field studies and science investigations at Bering Glacier. The results reported are from a wide range of disciplines, including glaciology, geology, paleogeology, hydrology, limnology, oceanography, tectonics, geomorphology, geophysics, meteorology, remote sensing, climate change, anthropology, and ecological studies pertaining to vegetation, fish, and marine mammals. The compilation of these individual studies into a single publication allows for a more complete understanding of how the approximately 5,000 km2 Bering Glacier system plays a major role in the greater southeastern coastal region of Alaska and through its wastage, its impact on the circulation of the northeast Pacific Ocean and on the global sea level.